


Hit Me With Your Best Shot

by s_harmonic_movement



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-18 18:27:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13105998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/s_harmonic_movement/pseuds/s_harmonic_movement
Summary: Jack Morrison is the school's idol, handsome, charming, and funny. Gabe has a crush on him, but when he finally musters up the courage to confess, he can't go through with it... and Jack ends up becoming his romance counselor. GG, Gabe.





	Hit Me With Your Best Shot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CaptainCorgi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainCorgi/gifts).



> This is based on a manga short drawn by Saeki Shun, before his debut of Shokugeki no Soma. It doesn't matter whether you read it before or after this fic, but here is the link if you want it!  
> http://mangalife.us/read-online/Shokugeki-No-Soma-chapter-21.5.html

“You’re serious, Gabe? That… that was actually kinda anti climatic.”

Gabe glared at Jesse, who was leaning with his elbow on his desk as if he owned it. His arm was right on top of Gabe’s textbook.

“I finally tell you who I like, and that’s your response? This is why I don’t-”

“But _everyone_ has a crush on Jack,” Jesse said, leaning forward with both elbows. “Hell, even _I’d_ like to Netflix and chill with him at least once.”

“This is different,” Gabe insisted, shoving Jesse’s arms. “I’ve liked him before he got all popular. Get your goddamn arms off so I can study.”

Jesse let out a snort. “Oho, ‘I liked him before he got all popular’, you sound like a hipster.”

“Shut up before I-”

“Is there a problem, gentlemen?” 

Their teacher for study hall stood just a few rows of desks away from them, staring at them with hands on her hips.

“No ma’am,” Jesse said, flashing a smile. “Just asking him for help on uh- number 24.” Gabe hadn’t even finished 11 problems.

The teacher decided she wasn’t up for a battle of wits with the class clown. “Well, keep it down. The entire class doesn’t need to hear your conversation.”

_They really don’t,_ Gabe privately agreed.

\---

“But you know, he’s got so many people after him, what do you think your chances are?”

Gabe paused, fork hovering over his food. It was lunchtime now, and Jesse still hadn’t given up the subject. 

“I don’t know? I never even thought about the possibility that I would get one. I only spoke to him a few times... He’s way out of my league. Probably everyone’s.”

“You’ve got that right. Great hair, great body, great grades,” Jesse counted off on his fingers. “What else? Captain of the football team. Funny, charming. He’s everyone’s biggest fantasy.”

“How long have you liked him, anyway?” Jesse asked, sipping his drink.

“....since 4th grade,” Gabe mumbled.

He jumped as Jesse spewed his iced tea all over the table. “FOURTH GRADE?” he exclaimed, drawing startled and curious eyes from all over the cafeteria at them. “That’s- Christ, Gabe, that’s like eight years!”

“Shut up!” Gabe hissed, face flushing hot from all the staring. “Yes, it’s been a fucking long time!”

Jesse began to wipe up the mess with paper napkins, but looking wildly excited. “Wow. Fuck! That’s- holy shit. Crushes don’t last that long. You’ve got it bad.”

“It’s more like I haven’t been able to let it go,” he said, poking at his lunch. His appetite was gone now. “Every time I think I’m finally over him he just- he does something to me or says something to me that gets me all hot and bothered again.”

His friend gave him a look. “Do you _want_ to get over it? There’s one good way to do it.”

“What?”

“Tell him how you feel. Then you get rejected, and then you can move on with life.”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever-”

“I mean sure, you’ll crash and burn, but it’s progress, instead of just hanging onto it your whole life without doing anything.”

Gabe opened his mouth to reply, but had to admit Jesse had a point. Although the thought of telling Jack face to face that he liked him was terrifying, he also didn’t want to pine after someone forever.

“I guess I’ll give it a try,” he finally said.

\---

_How do I even go about this?_

It was almost the last class of the day- Jesse had already left, and Gabe was alone, watching Jack from a distance at his locker. 

_I don’t even have his phone number or anything. I also don’t want to come up to him, he’s always with someone…_

As Jack shut the door to his locker, an idea sprang into his mind. Hastily, he tore a page from a notebook and scribbled,

__  
I have something important to tell you. Please meet me behind the school after classes today.  
Gabriel  


He cringed at such a formal letter, but as soon as he was certain Jack had left, he slipped note between the slats on the door. He did it so fast that he didn’t digest what had happened until he was sitting in his last class of the day- when reality caught up with him, he covered his face with his hands and put his head down on his desk.

\---

By the end of the day, Gabe was cursing his existence and all that entailed.

_Is he even going to show up? Who’d show up to such a lame letter? Does he even remember who I am? God, what was I thinking with such a…_

He was sitting in the grass behind the school building, the small space between the school ended and the sports fields started. Gabe stared through the weed-choked fence, watching the sun dip lower in the sky.

Gabe jumped when he heard the crunch of grass under someone’s feet.

“Gabriel?”

He got to his feet hastily. _He actually fucking came,_ he thought in a panic.

Jack was standing there, his blue backpack slung over his shoulder. He was looking at Gabe with a piqued interest. He didn’t seem at all negative about being called behind the school like this.

_Okay. Okay. All I have to do is tell him. Just say it!_

Gabe took a deep breath, and-

“Wow, I’ve never actually been behind the school before. It’s a great view from here!”

Jack faced the breeze and ran his hand through his silky blonde hair, looking so beautiful that Gabe swore his heart was going to roll right out of his throat. His body seized up, and the words refused to come out.

His crush looked at him inquisitively, waiting for him to say something, and Gabe knew that he had to say something, anything, else he’d blow the whole thing.

“I. Uh. I’m sorry! I put that letter in your locker by mistake!”

Jack, for an instant, looked disappointed, but it happened so fast that Gabe thought he was imagining it.

“Then who did you mean to give it to?”

He searched wildly around in his mind. “Th- Ana! Ana Amari! Uh, your lockers have similar numbers, so I must have mixed them up.”

Jack stared at him.

Gabe was one second away from just bolting when Jack started to laugh.

“Ha! Who makes a mistake like that! That’s kind of cute, honestly!”

_Cute? He thinks that’s cute?_

Jack started to come closer, and it took all of Gabe’s willpower not to back away.

“How did you start to like her?”

_Shit._

“Uh… I can’t really say.” _How am I supposed to make stuff up about someone I don’t even like in that way?_

“What? Why not? Come on, you make it look like you’re going to tell me you like me, and then you tell me it’s for Ana? I feel like I’ve been dumped!” Jack crossed his arms, looking angry.

“No! No way, I didn’t mean it to look like that…”

“I’m _kidding,_ man. Geez, the look on your face! But c’mon, you can tell me why. I love talking about this kind of stuff with people. Double if it’s about my friends.”

Gabe was too stunned, he couldn’t reply.

“You’re lucky though. Ana’s real good looking. Great choice. Honestly, you must’ve been so disappointed to see me show up instead.”

“What? No- you’re really good looking too, Jack. I couldn’t be disappointed.” _The fuck am I saying?_

“What?” Now it was Jack’s turn to look surprised. “Wow, that was smoother than I expected. Not bad!” Jack scratched his chin as he looked Gabe up and down. “But you’ll probably have to be better than that. How about I help you out?”

“What?”

“I’ll be your personal romance counselor! I can tell you everything there is to know about dating Ana.”

Gabe stared at him.

“What, am I not good enough for you?” Jack shifted from one foot to the other. “I mean- I haven’t really dated anyone myself, but I know Ana really well! Sound good?”

Realizing that Jack was waiting for a response, all Gabe could do was nod.

“Great! I’ll see you tomorrow, I have football practice. Bye, Gabe!”

Poor Gabriel was left standing there, feeling shell shocked. 

_What have I done?_

\---

The next morning, Jesse came over to join Gabe and was immediately startled at the dark circles under his friend’s eyes.

“Holy fuck man, what happened to you?”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“What, did he reject you? Then it just as you expected, right?”

“...well...”

“No way. Did he-”

“Jesse McCree. Please be seated, I am going to give my lecture now. We don’t want a late citation, do we?”

Jesse looked up and saw the teacher standing in front of the board with her hands on her hips. Her eye twitched.

“Uh- no, ma’am.”

He sat down in his seat, with some of the class giggling, but Gabe could see that he was still wildly excited.

\---

On the way to lunch, Gabe was tackled by Jesse, and with how tired he was, they almost fell to the ground.

“Fucking Christ, Jesse!”

“Tell me everything! Holy shit, did he say yes! Tell me!”

“Get the hell off me and I will!”

Jesse slid off of his friend, not deterred in the least. 

But just as Gabe was about to open his mouth, Jack showed up.

“Hey! I’ve been looking for you!”

Jack came up to them, drawing stares from everyone around them. His smile was bright and beautiful and Gabe wished Jesse would let go of his arm, because he was gripping it so hard he felt like his skin would tear off.

“Oh, hey, you’re Jesse, right? Mind if I borrow Gabriel for a second?”

“Uh. No.”

“Great!”

Jack put a hand on Gabe’s back and began to steer him away. Immediately, the hallway burst into excited chattering and whispering. He took one desperate look behind him and there was Jesse, giving him the biggest shit eating grin of his life.

Further down the hallway, Angela elbowed her friend, Ana. “Isn’t that Jack? What do you think?”

Ana took a glance at them with sharp black eyes.

“Bad taste.”

\---

Later, behind the school, Gabe found it hard to even look at him.

“Didn’t sleep well, huh? Too wound up or something?”

“Yeah, uh… something like that.”

He tried his hardest to keep his eyes on the floor, but suddenly Jack leaned down so his blue eyes were piercing into his.

“My eyes are up here, dude. Are you okay? Do you not trust me?”

“No! It’s.” _Shit._ “I uh. Get really nervous around good-looking people. I don’t think I’m the only one.”

Jack looked at him. “Dang. You keep slipping compliments like that into what you say. Are you sure you’re not good at flirting and just hiding it? Playing the shy boy angle, huh?”

Gabe couldn’t help but let out a chuff of laughter. “Nooo. I just say what I’m really thinking. It’s uh. Truth is the golden rule isn’t it?”

“It sure is. But then- you don’t really need my help, huh?”

“No! Didn’t you say you’d tell me about Ana? I don’t really know her that well.”

Jack leaned against the wall casually, arms crossed. “That was before I knew you were actually good at flirting. How about we have a deal? I’ll tell you about Ana, and you teach me how to do what you did.”

“What? Do what?”

“You know, have the confidence to say what you’re really thinking. I wish I could have that. I’m not really good at talking to people. My friends say I get really pushy.”

Gabe found himself shaking his head. “No- that’s- wow, that’s crazy. You’re not bad or anything.”

Jack smiled at him, and this time, Gabe found himself smiling back.

“Thanks, Gabriel. That’s really nice of you.”

“Call me Gabe.”

The school bell rang right above their heads, making them both jump.

“It’s a deal, Gabe! Meet me after school!”

\---

Just as Gabe was seating himself down, Jesse crash landed into the seat next to him. 

“Can you do anything gently?”

“Dude, you have to tell me what’s going on! Everyone in school is talking about it! How’d you score with the hottest guy in class when so many other people failed?”

“I didn’t _score_ with anyone! He’s uh- he’s just giving me advice.”

“What?”

“I messed up. I told him that I meant to give the letter to Ana instead… I couldn’t say ‘I like you’ to his face. So he offered to help me out.”

Gabe looked over at his friend. Jesse looked like he was trying his damndest not to laugh, because he knew Gabe would do something like yank out the chair from under him.

“That’s- holy shit, dude. Your crush is giving you love advice?”

“I _know,_ okay? God. He thinks I’m good at flirting too, it’s humiliating.”

Jesse couldn’t hold it in. He gave the ugliest snorting laugh and smacked the desk with the palm of his hand. “Dude. You’re some kind of shitty wizard. I can’t believe this.”

Gabe put his head down on the desk.

\---

As it turned out, even though they had agreed to a deal to talk about love advice, talk naturally drifted from different topics, like gossip and finding similar interests. After a few days, it came to the point where they would just hang out and chat like friends. 

“...so then, right as we get to the front of the crowd, I swear, the lead guitarist looks right at me! Like, right in the eyes? And she totally smiles at me and winks. No one believes me but I know it happened.”

The two of them were seated across from each other at the back of the school yet again, nestled in the soft grass along with their lunches.

“No way. I mean- isn’t she dating someone?”

“Not at the time. I dunno what it is, but that keeps happening to me. People flirting with me randomly like that, I mean.”

Gabe coughed into his orange juice. “I uh, speaking of which. There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

Jack tossed an apple core into a nearby trash bin. “Yeah?”

“I just remembered what you said- how come you haven’t dated before? It’s the last thing I expect, I mean… everyone likes you.”

His blue eyes glanced around. “Well… I mean, it’s not deliberate. I’d really like to date someone, if I had the chance… but honestly, I feel like that if I’m going to start a relationship, it should be someone I could really love and trust, you know?”

He sighed. “I mean, I’ve had a lot of people tell me they like me, odd as that sounds. But… that’s all I would ever hear from them.”

Gabe felt a discordant note hit his heartstring. “What do you mean?”

“Like- they would tell me they like me, and I turned them down because I didn’t know them all that well. It just felt kind of weird that I would be in a relationship with someone because they told me they liked me. They never even came back to talk to me. I guess I can understand, but… it wouldn’t hurt to talk to me like a person, you know?

But ever since that time, I’ve thought that maybe I could give someone a chance. But by then, people started to talk about how I’d never date anyone because I was too good for them. And I’ve never had the confidence to actually tell someone that I’d like to date them because they would come to me. So… I’ve had zero dating experience.”

Jack looked up and found Gabe staring at him. Embarrassed that he’d revealed such a part of himself, he coughed and scratched the back of his neck.

“Well- someday you’ll find someone! I’m sure. You don’t really have any bad qualities, it’s uh. Just a matter of confidence,” Gabe said hastily.

_Like I can even talk, but… I’ve been guilty of being the person who thought he was too good for the rest of us. He’s a human being, too._

“When the time comes, I’ll help you! I mean, you’re helping me, so… it’s only right that I’d do it in return.” 

Jack smiled at him. “Then that’s a promise.”

Gabe smiled back, but it didn’t feel good.

_Even though I promised, the day I’ll give you advice… it’ll hurt worse than hell._

\---

Later that day, Jack and Gabe were behind the school to chat, but Jack surprised him with a question.

“So… when are you actually going to tell Ana you like her? I told you about her by this point, you know?”

Gabe raised an eyebrow at Jack, still remembering Jack’s story. “Even though I haven’t talked to her much?”

Jack shrugged. “That part’s up to you.”

_I’ve taken it this far. It’d be mean for him to put in all this effort and not even try… but…_

“Uh- then I’ll do it tomorrow?”

_...does that mean this has to be over between us, too?_

“Nice! Decisiveness gets you far with girls. Uh, not that I’d know, but I know Ana doesn’t like guys who can’t make a decision. Tomorrow, though? That’s a bit soon. Aren’t you nervous?”

“Are you kidding? Of course I am.”

“Then let’s practice.”

Gabe looked over at Jack. “What?”

“Imagine it’s tomorrow and it’s Ana Amari standing before you. I’m not as pretty as she is, but make do with it. Hit me with your best shot!”

“Uh-”

“Loosen up, Gabe! It’s just practice.”

_Easy for you to say. Ana isn’t the one I like. It’s you. But… maybe I’ll say it, just once._

Gabe took a deep, long inhale.

“...Jack Morrison. I’ve loved you… for a really long time.”

The silence stretched between them. Jack looked absolutely stunned.

“Uhm. Gabe… You used my name.”

_No shit._ “Uh, crap! Sorry, I messed up.”

“Ha! Wow, that’s one thing you don’t want to do when you do the real thing!”

The two of them laughed, but Gabe missed the look Jack gave him behind his back.

“I’ll tell her to come behind the school at lunch tomorrow, okay? I’ll play wingman for you.”

“Wow, uh, thanks.”

“Good luck, man. Ana’s a great person.”

Gabe waved to him as they parted directions, but as they walked away from each other, the smiles slid off their faces.

\---

“Are you serious?”

“C’mon, Ana. He’s a really great guy! I mean he does seem awkward at times, but he’s actually really cool. He’s got a fabulous taste in music, bilingual… at least give him a chance?”

She sighed and leaned back in her desk chair. Ana could tell when Jack wasn’t being truthful about something. She didn’t doubt that Gabriel was an okay person, it was the reason for Jack’s call that made her suspicious.

“Okay, I’ll do it for you. I’ll listen to him, at least.”

\---

Unknown to either Gabriel or Ana, Jack planned to listen in on the conversation. He knew it wasn’t a very honorable thing to do, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of being a third wheel. Jack hid himself behind some nearby bushes before the appointed time. Pretty soon, he spotted Gabriel come around and seat himself in the grass.

_He’s really going to do it. He’ll confess to her._

The both of them looked up when they heard a third person coming. With a swish of long black hair, Ana was standing there, her hands in her coat pockets.

“Well? What did you want to talk about, Gabriel?”

Gabe felt his heart beating steady. It felt much easier doing this. He figured he’d just tell Ana the truth.

“Ana… sorry, but, I’m in love with someone else.”

Jack felt his chest get tight, and a hot flush rose up to his face and the tips of his ears.

“I lied to the other person and told them I have a crush on you… It’s been a big misunderstanding. I apologize for the trouble.”

Gabe looked up, and saw Ana hiding a smile behind her fingers. “Huh. I get it now.”

“What?”

“Mm. It’s nothing. I’d just been thinking all day how to turn you down gently, but the situation’s different from what I thought. It’s not to me who you should be apologizing.”

Gabe scratched the back of his neck. “Wow, uh, thanks for understanding.”

“It’s not a problem. I’ll see you around.”

Just as Gabe was about to let out a sigh of relief, Ana called back, “And treat him right, okay?”

Jack clapped his hands over his mouth, and Gabe was too startled by what she said to notice.

\---

When Gabe walked out to the front of the school to where the buses ran, he found Jack waiting for him.

Used to Jesse’s endless excitement over things like this, he was surprised that Jack almost seemed apprehensive.

“So… uh… how’d it go?”

Gabe shrugged. “Eh. She turned me down, like I expected. I had no chance.”

Jack didn’t say anything.

“Thanks for the help, though, I really appreciated-”

“You remember the promise you made?”

“Huh?”

“I think… I think I have a crush on someone.”

Gabe felt his entire world crumble. “What?! With who!”

Jack raised a finger to his lips. “That’s a secret.”

Gabe looked up at him, in despair, but tried really hard not to show it. “Wow, uh, damn. Whoever it is, they’re damn lucky. I’m jealous.”

Jack smiled at him, with softness that Gabe couldn’t explain. 

“So… this time, you’re going to give me romance advice. Okay?”


End file.
